“The American Ideal in Legal Education”

The University of Virginia School of Law is renowned for the quality of the student experience and for producing graduates who excel in public leadership and in their professional lives. Today, the Law School is financially self-sufficient and depends on higher tuition. To enroll tomorrow’s leaders we must ensure access regardless of personal means. That is the chief ambition of this campaign.

Thomas Jefferson conceived the University as the “public ideal” for an educated citizenry. He invested his personal resources in this enterprise, and he understood that private support was necessary to its success. His particular vision for the Law School was to prepare those who studied here to pursue and secure America’s democratic ideals. Jefferson believed this institution was uniquely suited to this task. That responsibility has always defined the Law School and continues to influence the work of the faculty and alumni who help shape our national life. It is most clearly expressed by our fidelity to the student experience, which the campaign will preserve and enhance by seeking historic support for student financial aid.